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Student Spotlight: DeVante Jackson finds the Twin Cities a ‘sweet spot’ for jazz

Augsburg College student DeVante Jackson ’17
Augsburg College student DeVante Jackson ’17

DeVante Jackson ’17 performed jazz around campus and across town during his first semester at Augsburg College.

Jackson—a saxophone player and pianist—regularly joined the Augsburg Jazz Band on stage in Hoversten Chapel, and had experiences only available to students who study in an urban location. Jackson amplified his formal music education by accompanying professional groups and amateur artists at theaters, jazz clubs, and cultural centers throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“The Twin Cities are a vibrant area for jazz musicians,” according to Andrea Canter, the Twin Cities Jazz Society’s chair of education. When compared to other U.S. cities including New York and Los Angeles, the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area is “…smaller in terms of population, but we have an awful lot going on. We have long been considered one of the top jazz centers in the country.” Continue reading “Student Spotlight: DeVante Jackson finds the Twin Cities a ‘sweet spot’ for jazz”